Scare Card

word type: noun

A community card that a player feels may have improved his opponent's hand.

Well, Yes and No

A scare card is one that a player thinks improved his opponent's hand, yes, but there is more to it than that. The player must feel that it improved his opponent's hand to the detriment of his own. If a player has a monster hand, he wants the board to help his opponent, so that the opponent thinks he has the best hand.

Scare Card Example

Player A has a pocket pair and sees the flop with several opponents. The flop produces two hearts and gives Player A a set. He takes the initiative in the betting and two players call. The turn puts a third heart on the board. In Player A's mind, this is a scare card, as he thinks that one of his opponents was on a flush draw and just made his hand, a hand which would, as of now, beat Player A's set.